The January 2016 Running Challenge

January Running Totals (miles)
1/1 - 10.17 warm up + 7.5 mile race
1/2 - 12.29 long slow run
1/3 - 5.16 easy with fast finish
1/4 - 6.01 easy
1/5 - 11.09 warmup, speed work, cool down
1/6 - 5.95 group run
1/7 - 8.04 warmup, speed work, cool down
1/8 - scheduled rest day
1/9 - 16.48 warm up + Winter Warrior Half
1/10 - 7.46 easy
1/11 - 10.07 easy
1/12 - 8.39 warmup, speed work, cool down
1/13 - 8.02 easy and snowy
1/14 - 8.70 warm up, speed work, cool down
1/15 - scheduled rest day
1/16 - 13.64 with hills
1/17 - 12.05 easy
1/18 - 8.53 easy plus 4 strides
1/19 – 7.94 warmup, speed work, cool down
1/20 – 6.17 easy
1/21 – 9.64 warmup, speed work, cool down
1/22 – scheduled rest day
1/23 – 17.86 easy
1/24 – 7.49 easy
1/25 – 10.08 easy
1/26 – 8.07 warmup, speed work, cool down
1/27 – 6.03 group run

January to date total – 225.33

Goal - 51 to 62 miles per week, per training plan
expected January total - 245 to 251 miles

Today's notes - I had worked the miles so that I could afford the group run of only 6 to 6.5 miles today. It had snowed and mostly melted today, but there were some slick spots; the group went mostly at the slow end of my easy range, or even slower on some sections of trails. It was incredibly easy, and just what I needed today.

It's not always about pushing for longer distances or pushing for a faster pace. Sometimes it's nice to just have a short, pleasant run with congenial company. This is particularly true for the day sandwiched between two speed workouts.

Had a conversation with another member of my running club before the group run this evening. Told him I'd come to the conclusion that the most important part of the training program isn't the sexy speed work, and isn't the sexy long runs. The most important part is getting sufficient recovery. That means running a lot of easy miles, getting enough sleep, and being smart enough to quit while you still have miles left in the legs.

Upcoming races:
March 12, 2016 Johnny's Runnin' of the Green 5 mile (Rochester, NY - need to register)
March 26, 2016 Spring Foward Distance Run 15K (Mendon, NY - need to register)
April 18, 2016 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA)

7lenny7 wrote: »

Okay, @7lenny7 - how did you come up with the URL to post your Goal tile from your Garmin Connect dashboard?

9voice9 wrote: »

Okay, @7lenny7 - how did you come up with the URL to post your Goal tile from your Garmin Connect dashboard?

@9voice9, I cheated. I used a Chrome browser extension called Awesome Screenshots to grab a crop of the Garmin Connect dashboard, saved it as a jpg then uploaded it to this thread.

WhatMeRunning wrote: »

Becky_44 wrote: »

How are you tracking your mileage? Are you separating or keeping it all together. I keep telling myself I'm thinking to much about the little things but doing c25k I struggle with how to track it.

I realize you didn't ask me but thought I might chime in (I had no run today and I'm itching to post I guess).

For the most part I track it all together. If I walk parts of my long runs or races I count it all as part of the run. I admit that earlier on I had trouble with counting it all together as I was trying to increase my distance. But truth be told it is no difference. The only change is how much I can do before I have to walk. If I know I am being a wimp though, that is a whole different thing. In that case I have to stomp on the wimp and get to running.

So doing c25k using Runkeeper, I should hit go running, instead of go walking? On my spread sheet I can seperate it, but I have Runkeeper synced to MFP.

@Stoshew71 - that is so crazy about the 8 yo setting a world record! wow! Do you think there could be issues for him later in life from running so much at such a young age? I mean I ran a bunch as a kid, all over the place as kids do, but not 13 miles at a pop.
@HonuNui - love the flounder! Oh and I will be there for the superbowl luau... not sure how I will get there, especially since I have a race here in the morning but you got me at kalua steamed pig!

MobyCarp wrote: »

Had a conversation with another member of my running club before the group run this evening. Told him I'd come to the conclusion that the most important part of the training program isn't the sexy speed work, and isn't the sexy long runs. The most important part is getting sufficient recovery. That means running a lot of easy miles, getting enough sleep, and being smart enough to quit while you still have miles left in the legs.

@MobyCarp - This is SO true. As much as we all b*tch about our rest and recovery days and running lots of easy miles can be so boring...they are so very important!

I went out for a stress relieving sunset run after sitting at my desk all day buried in meetings and too much work. All I can say is that it was simply a fabulous run! It was beautiful out, the sky was brilliant with purples and pinks and the temps were just right in the 50-60s. I ran my trail but was worried it was gong to be too dark for the return so I took the out and around street route and when I looped back around by the trail entrance I decided to go back on the trail away from all the cars heading home even though it was getting pretty dark. I thought I had gone 6 miles when I got home and felt like if it weren't so dark I could have gone a few more. I was so surprised that I had run over 7. Tomorrow is supposed to be hot but I am hoping to get in a late morning run between meetings if it isn't too bad.

Date..........Miles.........Total
01/01.......0.00..........0.00 - total rest/slug day. Did walk 1.5 miles with the pup
01/02.......9.33..........9.33
01/03.......0.00..........0.00
01/04.......7.16........16.49 + Agility
01/05.......4.14........20.63 Treadmill run + Strength Training
01/06.......0.00........20.63
01/07.......5.33........25.96 + Strength Training
01/08.......4.14........30.10
01/09.....12.21........42.31
01/10.......0.00........42.31
01/11.......4.54........46.85 + Agility
01/12.......3.64........50.49 + Strength Training
01/13.......0.00........50.49
01/14.......5.32........55.81 + Strength Training
01/15.......5.47........61.28 - half way to goal on the 15th of the month!!
01/16.......0.00........61.28
01/17.......7.55........68.83
01/18.......4.51........73.34 + Agility
01/19.......5.15........78.49 + Strength Training
01/20.......0.00........78.49
01/21.......5.23........83.72 + Strength Training
01/22.......4.23........87.95
01/23.....12.34......100.29
01/24.......0.00......100.29 - Dog beach Sunday!
01/25.......5.44......105.73 + Agility
01/26.......0.00......105.73 + Strength Training
01/27.......7.24......112.97



These are my upcoming races, let me know if you are going to be running too:
02/07/16 - Surf City Half, Huntington Beach, CA
02/20/16 - Special Edition Divas Half, Temecula, CA

Thank you both! I will be looking into all this!

runner_girl83 wrote: »

WhatMeRunning wrote: »

Becky_44 wrote: »

How are you tracking your mileage? Are you separating or keeping it all together. I keep telling myself I'm thinking to much about the little things but doing c25k I struggle with how to track it.

I realize you didn't ask me but thought I might chime in (I had no run today and I'm itching to post I guess).

For the most part I track it all together. If I walk parts of my long runs or races I count it all as part of the run. I admit that earlier on I had trouble with counting it all together as I was trying to increase my distance. But truth be told it is no difference. The only change is how much I can do before I have to walk. If I know I am being a wimp though, that is a whole different thing. In that case I have to stomp on the wimp and get to running.

^^ This! Sometimes I run/walk of my long runs - I could it all as my run!

I use the run/walk option on my Garmin watch - It beeps at me to run for 4 mins.. Then it beeps again to tell me to walk for 1 min. You just go for as long as you want basically.

For those without watches with a run/walk function - Runkeeper Pro offers the Galloway 4:1 method - So you run the app, it tracks your distance using GPS and beeps at you so you know when to run or walk... But I think it costs around $10 a month .. so Just depends if you want to pay that.

Otherwise, do a search on your play store or itunes (phone app) for an interval app - Tell it you want to run for 4 mins/walk 1 min... it should work in much the same way! You may have to run a GPS app in the background (Endomondo, Runkeeper, Map My Run etc.) to track your distance, if the interval app doesn't do that for you though

@mobycarp - I read a quote once that said something like the experienced runner knows the importance of rest days. Like everyone else here, I don't like the rest days but I am learning to just think of them as getting stronger. I do have trouble getting enough sleep unless it's summer.

@kristinegift - you must have a stomach of steel! I know I couldn't run that soon after eating. I had Panera last night too.

Jan 1 -41 mile bike ride
Jan 2 - 34 mile bike ride
Jan 3 - rest day
Jan 4 - rest day
Jan 5 - 5.25 miles
Jan 6 - 3.3 miles
Jan 7-11 - Sick 5 sick days.
Jan 12 - 4.1 miles — finally!!! Felt so great.
Jan 13 - strength training + 1 mile on treadmill
Jan 14 - 5.2 miles
Jan 15 - 5.1 miles; trainer cancelled
Jan 16 - 4.2 miles
Jan 17 - 6.02 miles
Jan 18 - Rest Day
Jan 19 - 7.4
Jan 20 - strength training
Jan 21 - 5.02 miles
jan 22 - strength training
Jan 23 - 4.5 miles
Jan 24 - 10.68 miles
Jan 25 - recovery and repairing muscles day
Jan 26 - 5.2 miles - in the humid afternoon.
Jan 27 - strength training
Jan 28 - 5 miles - back to morning run! Felt great (except for the alarm going off).





2/7 HM Daytona Beach

1/1-1/9-zero miles- respiratory infection
1/10-5.9 miles
1/11-4.0 miles
1/12-4.0 miles plus strength training
1/13-5.6 miles
1/14-rest day (maybe some yoga)
1/15-3.2 miles treadmill intervals
1/16-9 miles
1/17-4.3 miles
1/18-4 miles of dreadmill intervals + yoga
1/19-4.8 miles+strength training
1/20 6 miles +yoga
1/21-3.5 miles +strength training
1/22-rest day
1/23-9.3 miles
1/24-5.1 miles
1/25-5.1 miles +yoga
1/26-3.7 miles +strength training
1/27- 6 miles

1-Rest day
2-Flare/rest day
3-13.13mi The first six had me convinced i was going to turn around. the rest was nice.
4-rest day
5-pain day
6-3.23 mi. it looked slow but i ran fartlek-esque, but still had to avoid ice flows.
7-6.46 mi it was fun. I pushed hard. I'm glad my heart monitor works again.
8-rest day
9-4.75 mi on treadmill.
10-rest day
11-too cold and icey. -7 is just too cold even for me
12-slept in after walking the dogs. too icey now with a fresh coating of snow over it. hoping to get in an hour at the gym
13-3.7mi on treadmill. got to my third fastest speed. hoping to keep improving. and yoga
14-5.28mi
15-no yoga, rest day
16-3.25mi. race day. fun race. smaller. was 10 out of 21 in my age group.
17-rest day
18-lazy day
19-1.88mi tried different programs on the gyms treadmill. I am not level 7 anything apparently
20-rest day
21-4.22mi. first real run with the new shoes. i like them
22-rest day
23-11.3mi on treadmill. i kind of enjoyed it. fastest time for that distance. i was looking at a 2:40:00ish HM but i had a place to be and had to cut it short
24-rest day
25-power aerial yoga
26-5.86mi. never settled into the run. icy outside, stayed inside. I'm lazy.
a little sad that I probably won't be making my goal this month. It's possible but I don't know if it will happen. been rather exhausted. flare? tom? don't know.
27-aerial yoga
28-new medicine is making me a little dizzy and nauseous. going to try to run tomorrow because when i get moving it gets better.






RACES:
Jan 16-Frosty 5k-33:43:123 (gun time-don't have chip time)
Feb 13-Steve Cullen Run
Feb 13-21 Puppy Love Virtual Run 10k
?Mar 14-Great Pi Run?
?Jun 11-Rock n Sole 5 or 8k? honeymoon might interfere
June 19th through Sunday, July 10th SHE Power Virtual Half

01/04 2.74 mi
01/06 3.13 mi
01/09 5.00 mi
01/11 2.63 mi
01/13 3.53 mi
01/17 3.23 mi
01/19 6.00 mi
01/22 2.77 mi
01/25 6.00 mi
01/27 2.73 mi
TOTAL 37.76 mi